In the upcoming European Union parliamentary elections, a shift towards the conservative and right-wing forces is expected. Why are right-wing populist parties so successful these days and what implications does this have for the foreign policy and enlargement-agenda of the European Union? What is Hungary`s role within the European Union and what relevance does Victor Orbán`s anti-western, anti-woke and anti-liberal democracy narratives have for the work of the EU? In times of increasing multipolarity and the understanding that geopolitics are back on the agenda, how can the EU step up its efforts in dealing with multiple crises? How are right-wing parties cooperating on various issues within the EU parliament and what implications does this have for the EU as a peace maker? Are we heading towards an Orbanization of the European Union and what specific role plays Victor Orban in its immediate neighborhood, especially in the Western Balkan countries? These and other questions are addressed in the 18th episode of the podcast PEACE MATTERS with PÉTER KREKÓ and PAUL SCHMIDT.

Guests:

Péter Krekó is a social psychologist and a disinformation expert with a focus on the psychological drivers of belief in disinformation and the impact of political-institutional contexts. He holds a PhD from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences, where his dissertation topic was the social psychology of conspiracy theories. He is a Research Affiliate at the CEU Democracy Institute, a senior fellow at the Washington-based CEPA think tank, and a PopBack Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Additionally, he is a fellow of Rijeka University for Advanced Studies. He has also worked as a guest researcher at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and as a non-resident Associate Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Institute of Policy Research. In addition, he has served as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Indiana University and is the owner and director of the Political Capital Institute. Krekó is also the head of the EC-funded hub against disinformation (HDMO-Lakmusz)

Paul Schmidt has been Secretary General of the Austrian Society for European Politics since 2009. Previously, he has worked at the Oesterreichische National Bank, both in Vienna and at their Representative Office in Brussels. His current work mainly focuses on the analysis and discussion of topical issues regarding European integration.

Moderation:

Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP

The episode was recorded on 8 May 2024.